So Not Normal
by Gogo Starship
Summary: After bullying at McKinley goes to far, Rachel's fathers decide she needs to transfer to Carmel. There, Rachel sees someone she thought was on the other side of the country, at a little place called UCLA.
1. Chapter 1

**New story. I need to stop thinking of plot bunnies. For serious.**

**Okay… Did anyone else thing Jesse was going to show up at Breadstix during Silly Love Songs? I totally did! I was so disappointed. **

**Anyway… Here ya go! **

It had started off a normal day for Rachel.

Wake up, work out vigorously on the elliptical for half an hour, take a shower, get dressed, grab her bag, and blow her Barbra poster a kiss for good luck. Yes, a very normal day. Except that it kind of wasn't, because of those damn Neanderthals at school.

Things seemingly continued in their normality. She got to school, gave Finn a smile infused with apology and flirtation, and started stacking her unneeded books in her locker. A few people smiled and waved at her as they passed (only glee kids, of course; Mercedes, Tina, and Noah). Then, as was the pre-first period ritual, Santana called Rachel RuPaul before slinking into her classroom, and as usual, Rachel ignored her as she followed suit.

Or at least, she tried. But on the way to her homeroom, Rachel was shoved to the ground, her wrist making a sick cracking noise as she braced her fall. Tears pooled in her as she clasped her arm, a whimper escaping her mouth without her consent. She flipped over to face her attacker, and her shoulders tensed as she looked into the eyes of Dave Karofsky.

"Why did you do that?" she snapped, trying to stand, though it was difficult with her injured wrist. She gave up and sat up to her best ability; standing made her ankle scream in protest. 'Probably sprained,' Rachel thought, 'God, why did he push me so hard? That's the nastiest fall I've had in a while'.

"Because I'm sick of you Homo Explosion freaks walking around, acting all proud for being weird!" he said, as if it was obvious. Rachel saw red for a moment, and in a fit of **(An: Vocal, tee hee hee)** adrenaline, she stood up and pushed his shoulder with her good arm.

"How dare you, you… You closed-minded ignoramus!" she snapped, using her friend Kurt's term without really thinking. The bully tensed at the word, but Rachel ignored it. "I can't believe you think you're better than me, just because I like singing! Just because I have a talent that you'll never possess! You're just another Lima Loser, and you and the rest of your ignorant accomplices are trying to extinguish my light because you know I'm getting out of this po-dunk town, while you'll be here, working at the Burger King until you die!"

Karofsky turned a violent red and shoved her against the lockers; the metal locks dug into her back, and Rachel knew it would be purple with bruises by third period. He got in her face and poked her hard on her sternum.

"Don't you DARE talk to me like that!" he roared. He drew back his fist, and Rachel closed her eyes in preparation for the punch, but luckily it never came.

"GET AWAY FROM MY STUDENT!"

William Schuester ran down the hall and formed a shield between Rachel and Dave, his face contorted with fury. His classroom was only a few feet away, and he had obviously heard their shouts through the open door.

"Mr. Karofsky, I cannot believe that after the clear warning from us last time you would continue to bully the glee kids. You're lucky I'm not allowed to use physical punishment. Go to the principal's office, now! I will be there in five minutes, and if you're not, I will have Figgins expel you if it's the last thing I do!" His voice was so loud that Rachel cringed and covered her ears; Karofsky shot her one last glare before storming towards the general vicinity of the office like a petulant child. Rachel relaxed and tears spilled down her cheeks so fast one would think they were racing.

"Thank you, Mr. Schuester," she whispered softly, her voice cracking. Will immediately softened and put his hands on her shoulders, his touch feather-light in case she was injured there.

"Where did he hurt you, Rachel? I want to know before we go to the principal; I don't need Karofsky interrupting like he did with Kurt. He could barely get the truth out, and I don't think I'll be able to refrain from resorting to violence."

So, with a breathy, shaky voice, Rachel told him exactly what happened, and what was said word for word. With every sentence, her teacher's shoulders grew increasingly rigid, and Rachel was frightened by the look on his face.

"I…" he took a shuddering breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I… I need you to go to the nurse, Rachel. She can wrap your arm and your ankle and give you some ice. After you get all fixed up and have time to pull yourself together, I want you to come to the office and tell Figgins what happened. I'll make sure he knows that Karofsky is most likely going to lie while he tells his side." After helping Rachel limp to the nurses office, Schue departed to Figgins' office, and as the nurse was silent, Rachel was finally able to confront her emotions. The only one that came to mind was scared.

Karofsky was the meanest boy Rachel had ever met in her life. Not only had he bullied her and Kurt, he had physically injured her. A girl. That was so low in her mind, Rachel literally shivered with hate, and a few more tears spilled over. She was so caught up in her fear it took her a moment to realize the nurse was finished patching her up.

"Oh, thank you very much," she said as she stood, her steps feather-light as she went to the principal's office. Much to her shock, her dads were waiting for her there. The second they stopped glaring at Karofsky enough to notice her presence, they sprang uphugged her gently, careful to mind her injuries.

"Oh, baby, are you okay?" Hiram asked, brushing her hair out of her face as he stared at her with panicked eyes. Leroy said nothing, just hugged her and, if his shaking shoulders were a hint, cried.

"Dad, Daddy, I'll be fine, don't worry. I'm used to being bullied, it just went a bit far this time," she soothed, patting her fathers on their backs. They stiffened and pulled away as a silent conversation passed between them. 

"Rachel, honey, you aren't going to have to worry about that anymore. Your father and I have decided, and you're going to transfer. Today will be your last day at McKinley."

"WHAT?" Rachel gasped, sitting down next to Karofsky without thinking. "No! I… No! I mean, Karofsky is going to be expelled!" She ignored the angry grunt from her left. "It'll be over! I can keep doing my thing here!"

"Baby, you know that it won't be. You always tell us how awful the kids are to you. Why would you want to stay? I mean, sure, you have New Directions, but the way those terrible girls are— Satan, is that what you call her? And that girl Quinn, you would never be away from that. It's decided, Rachel. You are going to transfer. You can either go to Carmel High in Akron, or go to Dalton's sister academy, Moreaux, but that would be all girls and I don't know how long you would last," her father chuckled. Rachel glared at him for the last remark. She could very well last at Moreaux, but she didn't exactly want to.

"Wait!" she exclaimed as she was hit with a realization, "Isn't Moreaux a Catholic school? Dad, Daddy, I can't go there! It would go against my heritage and my beliefs, and I doubt I could go through a lesson about Jesus without scoffing."

Her fathers seemed stumped; they loved their little girl, and didn't want her to go to Carmel after what happened the year before, but they knew she would never willingly go to Catholic school. She was much too headstrong. "Well, sweetie," Leroy said slowly, looking a little shocked, "I guess Carmel is the only option. We'll get everything all sorted out, and you can tell your glee… friends… That you're transferring at practice today. I'm sure they'll understand." He pulled his daughter in for a hug and kissed her forehead.

The rest of the meeting went just as Rachel imagined it would; she retold her story, Dave Karofsky kept trying to interrupt, and Figgins offered to let her leave early. Rachel refused, of course. She wanted to spend her last day at McKinley. She wanted to tell New Directions, not just up and leave. She wanted to inform her teachers; she had most of the day left, after all. As she got up to leave, Mr. Schuester sent her a reassuring smile, and Rachel made a mental note to bake him some famous 'Thank You' sugar cookies.

**SO, that is my new story. **

**PLEASE READ THIS IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU WILL DIE IF YOU DON'T READ IT!**

**Not really. But still! **

**So, I know what you're thinking. ANOTHER story? You suck at updating! **

**I know. It's my private shame. But I've been doing well on Lead Into The Lead, and I already started typing up a new chapter for A Strange Occurrence. **

**Where does that leave The Power of Music, you ask?**

**In an orphanage. It is officially up for adoption. I know. I suck major booty! But it just doesn't inspire me, but I know it has the makings of a great story, and I really want someone to give it the chance it deserves! So please, PM me if you want it! **

**(Note: You must be literate to adopt it. As in, you know the English well enough to make the story readable. Sure, I make mistakes (who doesn't?). But I know enough to keep the story readable… Methinks.) **

**So, with that said, leave a review! I've decided I have to get ten reviews PER CHAPTER before I update. So yeah. I'm kind of a review whore. It's terrible, really. **

**REVIEW! **


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel walked into the choir room and was about to sit in her normal seat when Schuester walked in.

"Oh, no, Rachel, you'll sit in the front so you can make your announcement," he said, patting the stool in front of the piano as he passed it. He then stood behind the piano, jotting down the word 'Farewells' on the board.

"Is that this week's lesson?" she asked.

"Yes it is. It's kind of directed to you, I guess. I would have done it with Kurt, but I had no warning, and I couldn't really plan it," he admitted. Slowly, Glee kids started trickling in, and a nervous pit formed in the pit of her stomach. Once everyone was present and in their seats, Mr. Schue stepped into the middle of the room.

"Guys, I… Well, Rachel has some bad news. I'll let her tell you," he said, and melted into the background. Rachel stood up and smoothed her skirt nervously.

As eyes settled on Rachel, a ripple of whispers spread throughout the group; it was obvious she was hurt, and they were probably guessing what happened.

"Rach, are you okay?" Mercedes asked in worry. Rachel smiled at her friend and nodded slightly.

"I'm a little sore and shaken, but I'm getting by. Thanks, Cedes," she said. She sat back down on the stool; standing for too long hurt her ankle. "Today I was a little late to first period. Someone had held me up to insult me," Rachel sent an accusatory glare toward Santana before getting back to the subject at hand, "and on my way, I ran into Karofsky. He seemed to have reverted back to his ignoramus state, and he attacked me. He pushed me once or twice, and he would have hit me, if Mr. Schuester hadn't heard me screaming at him. My daddies decided that McKinley was too dangerous, and… I'm transferring to Carmel. Today is my last day."

Enraged protests broke out. Some people (Noah, Mercedes, and Tina) were upset that Rachel was leaving. The rest of the class, however, were only sad her _voice_ was leaving.

"Okay, we can get by without her at sectionals, but we _need _her at Regionals!"

"We lost a member, we can't compete!"

"What are we going to do? Carmel already has Sunshine, now the have _Rachel_? We're doomed!"

"Guys!" Mr. Schue's voice echoed easily over the students'. His face was red. "I'm disappointed in you! Rachel is the victim of assault, and your number one concern is Regionals? You guys, we already have Sue's budget, and while I know how much winning Regionals would mean, we have to put each other first!"

"It's only Manhands! Nobody likes her, anyway," Santana said easily.

"Shut up, _Satan,_ nobody likes you either!" Rachel smiled sweetly at Lauren for sticking up for her like that. The girl simply nodded in response.

"Do I have to show you how we do it on the wrong side of town again?"

"Oh, you mean show me kicking your ass again? No thanks, I'm good."

"Oh, hell no—" Santana jumped toward Lauren, but Noah grabbed her around the waist, and despite the fight Santana was putting up, easily got her to sit back down.

"Look," Rachel shouted, getting the attention back on her. "I know that most of you only care about my talent versus my personality, but I felt it only fair to tell you guys goodbye. I guess I'll leave, then."

Rachel walked out the door slowly (which, to regular people, was a normal pace), wishing someone would stop her, beg her to stay, have one last hurrah with the glee club she had helped flourish.

Nobody did.

When Rachel got home, she collapsed on her bed and just lied there. She was kind of in a funk.

She had given her all for that glee club! Without her, New Directions might not even have existed! Sure, they might have scraped together enough members to compete, but there was no way they would've won Sectionals last year, and that was all it would take for the show choir to crumble.

After an hour of just lying there, doing absolutely nothing, Rachel stood up and walked over to her closet. She was getting a fresh start with Carmel (if Sunshine hadn't spread rumors of the maniac who sent her to an _inactive _crackhouse), and she wanted to really make a good name for herself there. She needed a good outfit to prove it.

She dug through her closet slowly, examining each and every item, and instantly forming an entire outfit in her mind. Finally, she came upon the perfect dress.

It was knee length, and a nice bright red, with black polka dots and a vintage flair to it. It was perfectly Rachel Berry.

She hung the dress on a hook on the wall and turned to her computer. Although she only had thirty Facebook friends, she still updated often. She tapped her fingers gently on the trackpad, trying to think of a perfect way to sum up her leaving McKinley into one status. It needed to be dramatic, it needed to be wistful, but most importantly, it needed to be _hopeful_. Finally, it struck her, and she typed enthusiastically.

Rachel Berry

I will miss my days at McKinley, for it was the path that drove me further in my quest for stardom. That chapter is closed, and a new one, which I pray will be good, is now beginning.

Satisfied with her post, Rachel shut her computer and slid back on the bed. She lifted her pink phone and smiled brightly as the 'New Message' icon flashed on the screen.

_My life sucks, thought you might like to know. _

The number was unfamiliar to her, so she guessed it was someone she didn't know, a number change, or just someone whose number she had never possessed. She replied hesitantly.

_Who is this?_

She never got a reply.

When Rachel drove up to Carmel the next day, her stomach was in knots. She maneuvered through the parking lot, picking a spot near the back so she could have the whole walk to the school to collect herself.

'I am Rachel Barbra Berry,' she thought, giving herself a mental prep-talk, 'I can handle anything! I have endured slushie facials, constant insults, demeaning nicknames, and physical assault. I can handle this!'

She quickened her pace as she entered the throng of students. She kept her cast-encased arm (she had gotten it last night- it was bright pink and covered in gold star stickers) close to her ribs, overly worried that someone would hit it and injure her further. But maybe she didn't have to do those kind of things at Carmel; she remembered someone saying things were bigger and better here. Maybe they were right.

Rachel sweeped the halls, looking for her locker. She finally found it, smiling at the pretty shade of powder blue. She tried the combination, and after a few times (her left hand kept messing up, and she couldn't exactly use her right that well), it opened, revealing a layer of dust as thick as her notebooks. Rachel grimaced and brought out her old lace handkerchief, brushing most of it away. She folded her dusty hanky and placed it in the back corner; she would bring it home and wash it that night.

"Wait, Berry?" an astounded, barely-familiar voice said from behind her. Rachel spun around, and dread pooled in her stomach as she saw Andrea Cohen approaching her at a rate Flash would envy. "Berry, what are you doing here? You… You don't _go _here now, do you?"

Rachel wrung her hands nervously- a slightly difficult task, thanks to her cast- and nodded. "My dads made me transfer."

"Huh," Andrea said, and Rachel couldn't really read her expression. "Are you joining Vocal Adrenaline?"

"I wouldn't join if my talent depended on it," Rachel said angrily, slamming her locker and storming away. Andrea matched her manic pace easily.

"Listen, I know you." Andrea paused. "Well, I know Jesse, and he's exactly like you. So, if you apply the theory of relativity, I know you. Anyway, I know you would join Vocal Adrenaline if your talent depended on it."

"Don't compare me to him. Ever," Rachel spat, her shoulders practically shaking with rage. "I'm a good person, unlike him—"

"Yeah, because good people send innocent strangers to crackhouses all the time," Andrea oozed sarcasm.

"_Inactive!_ It was an _inactive_ crackhouse!"

"So you actually did it?" Andrea's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "Wow, I thought the freak midget was lying. I always hoped she wasn't, though."

"Why, you wanted to confirm your Crazy Berry theories? I get it, to you guys I'm a joke, but _honestly_—" Rachel was about to launch into a rant when Andrea cut her off with a laugh.

"Crazy? That was genius! I hate that girl. She's all sunshine and rainbows, and she wouldn't even let us funkify the other teams! Of course, Jesse agreed with her, he's all hung up about last time. If someone even _mentions_ eggs, he flips out," she laughed, and her eyes were filled with mirth.

"Wait, what say would Jesse have in funkification? He's in California right now, living it up at UCLA," Rachel asked. Maybe he was like a long-distance co-coach?

"Oh, wow. You mean you don't know?" Andrea's voice dropped in volume, and she looked sad. "Jesse was failed. Goolsby wanted him, and he failed him to keep him here. It killed him. Lost his scholarship, can't get into a four year, nothing. The only reason he's still here is because he wants to make up his grade and get into a two year."

Rachel couldn't quell her sympathy; even though she hated Jesse, nobody deserved that. "Oh, poor Jesse…."

"I know. I told Goolsby that if he did that to me, I'd sue him. I'm graduating this year, screw Vocal Adrenaline," she said proudly. Rachel managed to crack a grin.

"Well, go you. That's just another good reason for me to abstain from joining, though. I won't get into Juilliard if I fail; they do look at merit, not just talent, and there is no way I'm risking it," she said simply.

"You want to go to Juilliard, too?" Andrea asked. They started walking down the hall, to where, Rachel didn't know. She simply followed, thankful to have someone to talk to. "I'm going for the dance program, and maybe I'll do music. I would do drama, if I wanted to make a fool of myself."

"Oh, I want to do all three," Rachel said happily, "My whole life, essentially, is performing. I'm a triple-threat."

"And so modest, as well," Andrea said dryly. "You know Berry, you aren't that bad. I mean, a little loud, and smarmy, but if you ignore that, not bad."

Rachel smiled and shrugged. "Thanks. You're the first one to think that in a while. I—"

Suddenly, something Andrea had said finally sunk in. Jesse had been failed. _Jesse had been failed._ He was still at Carmel. _She_ was now at Carmel. No, no, no. He was supposed to be on the other side of the country!

"Oh, god. He's _here,_" she whispered. Andrea's smile slid off her face as she eyed Rachel wearily.

"Yeah, I already said that," she said slowly.

"I know, I just… It hadn't sunk in yet! I wasn't really thinking about what it _meant,_ just how it affected Jesse. Now I realize how it affects me!" Rachel waved her hands nervously. "Oh god, oh god, oh god!"

"Calm down, Rachel, you're a junior, he's a senior. You probably won't have classes with him, and you can sit on the opposite side of the school from him during lunch. I won't even tell him you're here. I mean, sure, he'll find out, eventually. But I can prolong it for you."

Rachel smiled in surprise; this girl had hated her guts less than a year ago, and now she was offering to help? She liked Carmel already.

The bell rang, and the shrill sound made Rachel jump out of her skin. She lifted her schedule to her face. "Okay, room K114. AP Psych. Wonderful! Thanks for the help, Andrea!"

"No problem," she said easily. A shock look crossed her face as a realization hit her with the force of a Mac truck. "Rachel, wait!" Rachel didn't hear her. She entered the class and handed her teacher the paperwork, a blinding, 'I'm-amazing' smile spreading across her face. He took the paper and skimmed the text before signing it on the dotted line adjacent to his course's name. "Okay, Miss Berry, I'm Mr. Castorena. You can have a seat next to…" he scanned the class, looking for an empty seat. She didn't really care enough to look; she didn't know the kids, how was she supposed to assess if it was a good or bad spot?

The teacher smiled. "Ah, well, my job is easy. Only one open spot, next to Mr. St. James. You can sit there."

Rachel whirled around, her stomach dropping to her knees as she met equally shocked bright green eyes.

**Mwua ha ha ha ha ha }:)**

**Am I evil? I dunno. Do I need ten reviews to update? That I **_**do **_**know. **

**YES. **

**By the way, guys, my other story, The Power of Music, has officially been adopted by D. Kenedy. I feel in my gut she's gonna do GREAT with the story, so check it out! :D**

**So, ten reviews. And thanks to everyone who reviewed last time. You guys rock my socks, yo :)**

**Cheers!**

**-Harlot**


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel took deep, calming breaths, and as she walked to her seat, a death march played in her head. She sat down and slowly pulled her supplies out of her bag, refusing to look at the boy next to her. She set up her laptop— she couldn't exactly write anything, and it had voice to text, so it would essentially take the notes from the lecture without her lifting a finger— and began playing with the skirt of her dress, refusing to meet the gaze she felt burning against her neck.

"Rachel, what are you doing here? Why are you so beat up?" he gently took her casted arm in his hand and examined it carefully. "Pink with gold stars. How very Rachel Berry."

Rachel snatched her arm away and finally looked up at him, and her heart stopped as she took in how he looked.

Although he was still handsome, he looked… defeated. It broke Rachel's heart, and without thinking, her fingertips ghosted over the purple bags under his eyes. "Have you been sleeping lately?" she asked without thinking. He sighed and turned to face the board, his face going blank.

"I've been busy with homework and practice, I haven't had the time," he said emotionlessly. Rachel raised an eyebrow at him and faced the board as well, sitting rigidly as she realized she was still very, _very _angry with him.

"Fine, lie to me. Same old, same old, huh?" she spat bitterly. She clumsily started fiddling with her laptop— checking her email, her Facebook, everything routine until the final bell rang and the teacher stood at the front to speak. Rachel closed her internet and turned on voice to text. Jesse stared at her the whole time, and as the teacher launched his rant, he leaned in to whisper to her.

"Rachel, I'm sorry about what I did, and if I could take it all back, you know I would in a heartbeat. I thought I was doing the right thing, helping you find your way back to Shelby, but… I guess not. I had no idea she would do that to you, Rachel, I promise you that. If I could go back in time and tell her to screw herself, then stay with you at McKinley, I would in a heartbeat. I was wrong to… to egg you," his voice was pained, his face twisted in agony as if it was physically torturing him to say those words, "but know that I still care for you deeply, and I would do anything to receive your forgiveness." He looked as if a huge weight had been lifted. His green eyes followed her every movement, obviously expecting some kind of answer.

"I will consider it," she began softly, "but you really hurt me, Jesse… However, I am a very forgiving person, and I will most likely forgive you… Someday."

"That's all I ask for," he breathed, finally turning forward to pay attention. He quickly decided against it, though, and turned back to her. "So, do you mind explaining what happened to your arm?" He gave her a once over and noticed the ACE bandage around her ankle. "And your ankle."

"Well, you remember Karofsky, correct?"

"That oaf who slushied all the glee kids?" Jesse bit out. He looked ready to kill. "What did he do?"

"He pushed me down. I twisted my ankle on the way down, and my wrist broke when I tried to brace the fall. And then, when I got back up, he slammed me against the lockers…. That's why I'm here. My daddies were sick of the way I was being treated, and made me transfer. It was either this or Moreaux, and I wouldn't do so well in Catholic school."

Jesse didn't appear to be listening. His head was bowed, and his curl's fell to cover his eyes, but Rachel could see his mouth was pressed into a hard line. His fists were balled into fists at his side, and he was breathing heavily. He looked ready to kill.

"That… that little…. I swear to god, if I ever see his face, I will _kill_ him for doing that. How dare he hit a girl? And _you, _of all people! You're… I mean… How could someone _do _that to you?" he whispered tersely. Rachel hesitated slightly before putting a calming hand on his knee. Jesse relaxed slightly, and he looked up to meet her eyes. "God, Rach, I'm so sorry that happened…. You won't have to deal with that here. Not as long as I'm around. I promise, if anyone so much as pokes you and you don't like it, I'll kick their ass!"

Rachel smiled and gave his knee a squeeze. She found herself falling back into a familiar pattern, but at the moment, she decided to let it slide. She would be cold and informal with him later; she couldn't stay mad while he was being so sweet. "Thank you so much, Jesse. That means a lot, and…" Her throat constricted and she swallowed hard. "Nobody has ever done that for me. So thank you." She gave his knee a final pat before facing the board once more. She glanced at her computer and smirked, seeing bits of her conversation with Jesse mixed in with right brain dominance versus left brain dominance.

The entire lecture, Jesse would peak at Rachel in the corner of his eye and smile. Every time he did, Rachel would blush, which only prompted him to grin wider. When the bell finally rang, Rachel tried to start packing her things, but Jesse did it for her. He slung her bag over his shoulder and offered her arm, which she took in an instant. 

"Tomorrow, I'm going to be mad, just so you know," she stated matter-of-factly. Jesse smirked.

"Then I'll just have to work for your forgiveness," he said, his tone mirroring hers.

"Well, I'm sure it won't take long. Your charm is already getting to me," she admitted. Jesse chuckled.

"Well, the St. James clan is charming, if nothing else."

"Ah, heredity. It's why I have such wonderful star power. Luckily I got talent from my mother, even if I didn't get a relationship with her." Jesse stopped dead in his tracks, looking as if he had just received a slap in the face.

"Rachel… When's the last time you talked to Shelby?" he asked gently. "I mean, what if you run into her?"

"Why would I run into her?" Rachel demanded, panic rising rapidly. "She's gone! She quit, retired from what I heard! I mean, I don't know why, but—"

"Shelby retired as coach, she's still a— wait. You didn't hear?" he asked, his brow creased in worry. "Rachel… She adopted Beth. She's still working here, as a music appreciation teacher." Rachel gasped and her eyes watered up as she desperately dug through her bag, ignoring the fact that Jesse winced in pain as the strap dug into his shoulder.

"I'm taking music appreciation! It's my next class! I… no, I cannot handle a class with her! Not the woman who replaced me with the devil spawn of my high school tormenter!" She finally pulled out her schedule, her face blanching as she took in the information in front of her.

2- Music Appreciation, Corcoran, Shelby.

The schedule slipped out Rachel's fingers and fluttered to the ground, Rachel's heart dropping along with it.

**Oh my goodness, you guys. Twenty five reviews. You are SO AMAZING! That's why you got this chapter so dang fast, you earned it! :D**

**Ten reviews till the next chapter!**

**Cheers!**

**-Harlot**


	4. Chapter 4

After a moment of standing in shocked silence, Rachel picked her schedule off the floor and started walking in the _opposite_ direction of her next class. Jesse grabbed her arm to stop her.

"You're going the wrong way, Rachel," he said, spinning her around and leading her in the right direction. Rachel dug her heels into the floor.

"No! I'm not going. I refuse. I'll ditch today, go to the counselor's office, and transfer out before I ever have to face that woman ever again!" she said pleadingly. Jesse stopped tugging on her arm and rolled his eyes at her.

"I'm talking to Rachel Berry, am I not?"

"Of course you are," she said petulantly, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly.

"Well, the Rachel Berry _I _remember didn't run away," Jesse said, and Rachel tensed against her will; she knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to rile her up so she would face her mother. Sadly, it was working. "She would face the person who caused her pain and act like she was fine without them, happy, even, so that they regret ever thinking they could take down the incredible Rachel Berry."

Rachel sighed and closed her eyes tightly for a second, Jesse's words weighing heavily upon her. He had a point; she was Rachel Berry, gosh darnit, and she would _not_ be a coward. But her mother had really hurt her.

'Everyone is replaceable.' New Directions had told her that once. She knew it was applicable to being female lead, but not to being someone's _daughter_. She thought that was an everlasting bond, irreplaceable. But of course, she had to be proven wrong. By her own mother.

She had been replaced. By the daughter of her tormentor. For once in her life, Rachel wished her life wasn't like a play. The drama was too much to take. She needed to push it out _somehow_.

"Fine. I'll act like she didn't crush my soul when she said she didn't want me," she snapped. Jesse smiled sadly.

"Well, on the bright side, I'm a student aide for her. Unfortunately, I need the credits, and she was the only one who would take me." He sighed and scuffed the toe of his combat boots on the floor. "I tried to shut her out completely, after what happened last year. I was so pissed that she had done that to you, made us both go through all that crap just to change her god damn mind."

Rachel flinched at his language, and he unfortunately noticed. "Sorry. I… sorry. I've had some anger problems as of late."

"I can understand that," Rachel said sadly, hooking her arm with his. He smiled and they started toward Music Appreciation.

"So, what exactly do we do in this class?" she asked. Jesse shrugged.

"Well, Shelby has two classes- one with the Vocal Adrenaline kids, and one for the kids who were too terrible to make it and try to prove to her they're talented. I suggest investing in earplugs; headphones won't drown out the terrible squawking those kids call singing."

"Wonderful. So I have to listen to kids singing terribly for an hour every day. This ought to be fun," she said sarcastically. Jesse smiled.

"Definitely, it's the highlight of my day."

They stopped in front of the door, and Jesse's arm moved to wrap around her shoulders comfortingly. Rachel smiled up at him, her dazzling, thousand-watt smile. Jesse returned it easily.

"We have two more minutes. Unless you want to enter late and make an even more dramatic entrance."

Rachel thought for a minute before a brilliant idea popped into her head.

"I'll walk in late. I have a wonderfully devious plan."

"Just promise me you won't send anyone to an abandoned crackhouse."

Rachel glared at him as he disappeared into the classroom.

A minute after the final bell rang, Rachel ran in, her hair windswept (she had pulled the mini electric fan from her purse for the effect) and her eyes wide with panic.

"So, so sorry I'm late, Ms…" Rachel trailed off uncertainly and looked at her schedule. "Cockroach?"

"Rachel?" Shelby asked incredulously. Rachel faked confusion.

"How do you know my name?" she asked. "Oh, they most have told you I was coming, of course." She handed Shelby her papers. "You need to sign these, Ms. Corco… Corcoroach. I'm sorry, how do you pronounce your last name?" she asked innocently.

"Don't act like you don't know Rachel."

"I don't." Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw Jesse shaking violently with silent laughter. She suppressed a smile.

"Rachel, what game are you playing?"

"I didn't know we were playing a game. Look, if this is some kind of prank you're pulling because I'm late, I'm really sorry. I was lost. It won't happen again. So, if you would kindly point me to me seat, I'd greatly appreciate it."

"You can take the seat in the back, it's pretty much the only one available beside the one next to my desk," Shelby muttered sadly. Rachel felt a twinge of guilt until she saw a picture of a blond haired baby on Shelby's desk. That strengthened her resolve. She sat in the back, near where Jesse was sitting, and slid down in her seat, wanting nothing more than to be a wallflower, just for the day.

"That was brilliant," Jesse whispered in her ear as a short raven-haired girl got to the front of the room to sing. Rachel tuned her out.

"Thank you. I felt a little guilty, at the end, but then I saw the picture on her desk, and it made it much easier to ignore my conscience," she whispered, gazing morosely at the picture of little baby Beth. Jesse took her hand, and Rachel sighed at the immediate relief it brought her.

"Screw Shelby," he said calmly, rubbing soothing circle in the back of her hand with his thumb. "She's a bitch, and she's not worth your time. You may look like her, but you are _nothing_ like her."

"But what if I am, Jesse? What if I turn out just like her? I was told I wasn't wanted by my own mother, what if I make the same mistake? I look like her, I sound like her, I have the same dreams as her, I—"

"You are more beautiful than Shelby ever was. You're kinder, and stronger, and more talented, and you shine _brighter_. Rachel, I have no doubt in my mind you will grow up to be nothing like Shelby. You don't need to worry."

Rachel's eyes watered and she gave Jesse a kiss on the cheek. "That was really sweet of you to say." Rachel sighed and looked away for a second. "Jesse… You know we're just friends, right? I can't be in a relationship with you again. You understand, right?"

"I can accept that," he said. Rachel relaxed, but he kept going. "For now. I will win you back, Rachel. I'm a patient man. I can wait for eternity, if need be."

Rachel was about to say something, but the bell rang, dismissing the class. Rachel was shocked time had passed so quickly. The class got up and filed out, and just as Rachel reached the door, she heard Shelby from behind.

"Wait a minute, Rachel. We need to talk."

**O****:)**

**You guy ROCK. Thirty reviews? I felt like crying from happiness! And I admit, I watered up a bit. **

**So, shameless plug: Check out my story Tulips. It's cute, methinks. Also, to those who HAVE read it, do you think I should do a series of one-shots like that? It'd be like, out of five. The Bouquet series, because each one would be about a different flower meaning. Review and tell me whatcha think. **

**Also, would anyone be interested in co-writing a story with me? I feel like sharing A Strange Occurrence. I would share this or Led Into The Lead, but I feel content writing them myself. **

**Ten reviews till the next chapter! Check out all my other stories, and I wouldn't mind a nomination in those St. Berry awards… ;)**

**TOTALLY JUST KIDDING! Don't nominate me. Nominate someone who deserves it. **

**Cheers!  
**

**-Harlot (who doesn't own Glee)**


	5. Chapter 5

**CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE LATEST HARRY POTTER MOVIE! BEWARE! **

Rachel froze and bit her lip, too afraid to turn around. Jesse gently put a hand on both her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"You can do this, Rachel. Remember, you need to show her you're fine without her," he whispered, making sure Shelby couldn't hear. "I'll be right here, okay?"

Rachel nodded mutely and smiled at him before turning to face Shelby. "Yes, Ms. Corcoran?"

"Cut the crap, please, Rachel," Shelby begged, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Jesse might be laughing, but I'm not." She then looked over at Jesse. "Speaking of, please give Rachel and I a minute alone."

"No," Rachel said, surprising herself, "He stays or I leave. Take your pick."

Shelby looked surprised. "Okay, fine. He can stay. Rachel, what are you doing here? I thought I made it clear there was nothing left for us."

"You made that abundantly clear when you replaced me," Rachel snapped, but her voice wavered slightly toward the end, "And don't flatter yourself. I'm here because my daddies made me transfer. Trust me, I would have stayed at McKinley, if I had the choice." Rachel saw Jesse wince in the corner of her eye, but ignored it- she was on a roll. "And honestly, if I knew you were still here, I would have gone to Moreaux's."

Shelby looked on the verge of tears. "Baby, I'm sorry that I hurt you, I really am, but—"

"No _buts, _because that implies you have a justification for your actions, and there's no way in _hell_ there's a good reason for the emotional turmoil you put me through just so you could _change_ your _mind_," she spat. She was shaking with anger, and Jesse seemed to sense she was ready to explode. He put a comforting hand on her arm, and although she was still shaking, it lessened. "So no _buts_. You have no right."

"Rachel, listen to me," Shelby pleaded, "I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you, but you didn't need me, and—"

"I didn't need you?" Rachel laughed. "Oh, no, I don't need a mother, I'll be fine with two dads who don't know how to cook, or sew, or clean properly. I'll be fine being the one who has to do _all _of that, because who needs a _mother_ when you can learn to do everything on your own with almost nobody to help you along the way?" Rachel's words dripped venom and sarcasm, and she saw Shelby was blinking back tears. She repented slightly. "I get it. You have a new child, I have my daddies. We're both better off without each other. I won't tell anyone you're my mom, and you can keep to yourself that I'm your daughter. I'm assuming only Jesse knows, right?" Shelby nodded. "Good. Then we can just keep up the charade. I'm just a random student, and you're just a random teacher." Rachel hesitated and swallowed hard. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Corcoran."

"Rachel, wait—"

Rachel slammed the classroom door behind her and let out a shaky sigh, her eyes squeezed closed so tightly it hurt. She felt herself being pulled into a hug, and it opened the floodgates.

"That was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," she cried, burying her face in Jesse's shirt. She could smell his aftershave.

"I'm proud of you, Rachel," he whispered. She felt him stroke her hair and smiled despite herself. "You were so strong in there."

"Thank you," she whispered. Her voice broke and she cried a little harder- she was making such a fool of herself.

"Let's ditch. We can come back for lunch, it's only two periods away. If your dads ask, you can explain. They're cool, they'll understand."

"But what if the classes are about something important?" Rachel asked, finally releasing Jesse and wiping her tears away with a shaky hand. "I can't fall behind."

"Rachel, I feel confident that you don't have to worry about falling behind. You're the smartest girl I know," Jesse chuckled. Rachel beamed at him before trying to look stern.

"I'm supposed to be mad at you, stop making it difficult."

Jesse laughed. "Sorry, I'm a magnetic personality. I can't help it that people naturally love me."

"It must be because you're so humble," Rachel quipped, causing Jesse to laugh longer.

"I try," he chuckled, taking Rachel's uninjured hand in his. She looked at him severely and he let go, raising his hands in surrender.

"Sorry! I can't help it, I'm just falling back into the old pattern," he said worriedly. Rachel smiled.

"Hand holding is an action reserved to boyfriends," she told him bluntly. He smiled cockily.

"No worries, then. I'll be able to hold your hand soon enough," he said confidently. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Sure you will." The bell rang, and Rachel's eyes widened. "I feel like a fugitive right now. I've never ditched class before, I've always had perfect attendance, even when I had Laryngitis!"

"Really? Never?" Jesse was obviously skeptical, and Rachel huffed.

"Yes, really. What kind of girl do you think I am?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest, which was no easy feat considering one of them was wrapped in a thick cast. Jesse shrugged.

"I don't know, it's just weird. Was today your first time being late, too?" he asked. Rachel shook her head.

"No, after every slushie facial I had to go to the bathroom and clean up, and I was usually late because of it. The teachers dismissed it, of course, once I explained it to them."

Jesse's eyes hardened and Rachel could see his jaw working angrily. "God, I'm glad you're away from that hell-hole they call a high school. You don't deserve their crap Rachel, and I can't believe you put up with it for this long."

"I would have put up with it longer, if I knew I had the choice," she said honestly. "Not because I have any real ties to McKinley… Everyone hated me there. I just sort of felt like I was giving up by coming here. I felt like a quitter."

Jesse sighed and shook his head in exasperation. "Rachel, it wouldn't be quitting, it'd be protecting yourself from things like that!" He gestured to her arm angrily.

"That's letting them win, though!" she argued.

"So what! Honestly, your safety should come before your need to win, Rach."

"Let's just not argue about this, okay?" she huffed. "We have two hours before lunch, what do you want to do?"

Jesse shrugged. "I don't know."

"Look, Jesse, stop acting mad. I'm here now, I'm not in danger, and my time at McKinley is over. Let's just forget the past and focus on the here and now," she said. "Now what do you want to do?"

Jesse tapped his chin thoughtfully. "We could see a movie," he suggested lightly.

"What movie?" she asked. He shrugged. 

"I don't know, whatever's out right now."

Rachel thought for a moment before brightening happily. "We can see Harry Potter!"

"I would've thought you had seen that by now, Rachel," Jesse said in shock. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Well, of course I have, but honestly, it's worth watching a fourth time."

"Wait, fourth?"

"Are we seeing it or not?" she demanded. Jesse chuckled and ruffled Rachel's hair.

"Fine, but I'm paying for the tickets," he said surely, his tone showing that he was leaving no room for debate. Rachel frowned.

"Fine. I'll pay for snacks," she said. Jesse looked like he was going to protest, but Rachel held up her hand to silence him. "It's only fair."

Jesse gave up and led Rachel to his spot in the parking lot, opening the door for her.

"How chivalrous of you," she grinned.

"I try," he said cockily, and Rachel silently thanked god that she didn't have to define what it meant like she did for Finn.

When they arrived at the theater, they purchased their tickets, popcorn, and a pack of Redvines. When they got to the correct theater, they were shocked to find it completely empty. Rachel giggled and raced up the stairs to the very middle row of seats, sitting dead center. Jesse chuckled and strolled at a much slower pace to join her.

Throughout the whole film, Jesse barely paid attention to the screen; he was much more interested by Rachel's reactions. He was _very _shocked when she started crying.

"I thought you said you had already seen this movie!" he stammered. Rachel threw an icy glare his way and wiped at her tears.

"That doesn't make Dobby's death any less tragic!"

Jesse just stared at her for a minute before he laughed loudly, causing Rachel to become even more aggravated. He managed to wheeze out an apology.

"I'm sorry, Rachel, I just… I mean… He's not real, you know!" he laughed, and Rachel pouted at him.

"Shut up."

Jesse finally managed to calm down. He tried to grow serious, but it was hard due to the wide smile on his face. "Sorry, Rachel, but you crying caught me off guard." He stood up and offered his hand. She ignored it and stood as well, smoothing out her skirt and acting indignant.

"It was a very emotional scene, and I will not act ashamed that I cried," she said stubbornly. Jesse smiled.

"Of course you won't."

They drove into the school parking lot just as the bell rang, and Rachel groaned at the thought of being around food- she had overindulged on popcorn and Redvines, and the mere thought of eating turned her stomach.

"Full from all the crap we ate at the movies?" Jesse asked. Rachel nodded. "Me, too. The very thought of food is nauseating."

Rachel and Jesse strolled into the cafeteria, and Jesse led her to the Vocal Adrenaline table. She tensed visibly, and he took her hand and rubbed comforting circled on the back with his thumb.

"They've promised to be civil— I texted them on the way here. Don't worry, if anyone tries anything, I'll open a can of whoopass."

Rachel giggled and relaxed, taking a seat between Jesse and Andrea. The girl smiled politely, though Rachel could tell she was shocked.

"Well, looks like someone is quick to forgive," Andrea whispered. Rachel shrugged, smiling bashfully.

"He makes it very hard to keep a grudge," she muttered back. Andrea chuckled.

"Yes, he can be very charming sometimes."

"It's really not fair at all!"

A tall man approached the table, three wrapped sandwiches in his hands. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder, and a binder tucked in his arm, so Rachel assumed he was one of the other failed students of Vocal Adrenaline. He threw two of the sandwiches so they landed in front of Rachel and Jesse, and she sent him a look of confusion. The man's shoulders shook with barely-controlled laughter.

"Ham on wheat for me, and egg salad for Jesse and his favorite omelet." The man's laughter boomed so loudly it echoed, but the rest of the table was dead silent. All eyes were on Jesse, and he shook with anger. After a tense moment of silence, Jesse exploded into a fit of rage.

**Whoa, things are getting intense, I know. Crazy stuff!**

**So, check out part two of the Bouquet series, Gladiolus. People seem to like it so far. **

**Thanks to all who reviewed/favorited/alerted! Keep it up! **

**Ten reviews until the next chapter, mmkay?**

**Cheers!**

**-Harlot (who doesn't own Glee)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, sorry it took so long, but hey, an update is an update, no? ****:)**

**So, next is LITL, and then Amaryllis. Hope you guys are stoked! I am :D**

**Harry Potter fans, check out my two-shot, Hopeless. It's good, I think. I dunno, as I haven't gotten ANY REVIEWS x(**

**Enough bitterness. Disclaimer: Unless Ryan Murphy has turned into a teenage girl, no such luck. Now, to the newest installment of SNN :D**

Rachel gasped as Jesse jumped out of his chair and lunged at the guy in front of him. Although the man was much taller and buffer, Jesse was quicker, and took the man down with ease. He had him pinned against the wall by the shoulders, and his face was inches away from his, like he might bit his head off.

While the Vocal Adrenaline table had fallen silent, the rest of the cafeteria had, initially, been as loud and chaotic as ever. The second the man hit the wall, however, one could have heard a piln drop.

"How dare you speak to her like that!" He pulled the man away from the wall and slammed him back against it; he winced in pain. "You're lower than the dirt she walks on, and honestly, pull crap like that again, and you'll never even step a toe into the VA auditorium! Now leave, Chris, before I kick your ass so hard you taste leather for a week!"

Chris glared weakly and stormed out of the cafeteria, his shoulders slumped sulkily. Jesse dropped back into his seat next to Rachel and then tossed the sandwich across the room, then turned to everyone and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"So Andrea," he started politely, turning to the girl seated next to Rachel, who was still shaking slightly. "Who do you think is going to get the female solo for Regionals?"

Andrea shrugged. "I hope it's me, but you know that if Berry here doesn't try out—"

"I've told you, Andrea, that is not going to happen!"

"I'm afraid Little Miss Sunshine is going to get it," she finished bitterly, as if Rachel had not spoken. Jesse groaned and stared up at the ceiling, shaking his head.

"God, why couldn't she just stay at McKinley? She's such a nuisance!" he whined. Rachel smiled slightly and took her lunch out of her bag; a light fruit salad and a V8.

"Why is she so annoying?" she asked, as she pushed her fruit throughout the bowl with her little plastic fork.

"She's obsessed with me, she's always singing Lady GaGa, and she's too nice. I swear to god, Rach, she's crazy," he sighed. He smiled slightly as he looked at her, "She's even crazier than you, and it's not even the good kind of crazy. Did you know that, even with her voice, she wants to become a teacher? Not even a music teacher. A math teacher."

"Wow, what a waste of talent," Rachel frowned. One of the Vocal Adrenaline members, a red-headed girl who startlingly resembled a fox, offered her two cents.

"Yeah, well, not much talent," the girl snorted. "I would say she has two left feet, but that's not accurate. She has footwork that makes a paraplegic snort with laughter."

It was obvious by their frames that the people who laughed the loudest were talented dancers, including the red-head. Rachel joined in on their laughter, glad that she had something she could beat Sunshine at; she was a very good dancer, if she said so herself.

"Yeah, and her showface makes her look constipated," Jesse added with a laugh. Rachel noted he looked so much better when he laughed, and was glad his spirits were rising.

"You guys need to project better!" One of the boys said, scrunching up his face and waving his finger mockingly in an obvious impersonation. The table roared with laughter, and Rachel chuckled weakly, wishing she understood. "She always bosses us around," the boy explained kindly when he noticed Rachel's confused expression. "Well, she at least tries. Her efforts aren't exactly successful, though."

"Yeah, remember the time she tried to give Jesse criticism? I never though I'd see Little Miss Sunshine cry like that!" Rachel noted that while the nickname should have been nice, there was always a hint of malice in the person's tone when used. Jesse smirked.

"I was hardly pitchy. I sounded auto-tuned, compared to her whale songs," he said cockily. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"I have a solution to your Sunshine problem. You can hide her behind Jesse's giant ego while you perform," she quipped. Jesse looked offended, though his shoulders shook with suppressed laughter, while the rest of the team laughed unabashedly.

"I would say we could hide her behind you, but you're so small you could barely shelter an ant," he replied.

"Unlike your watermelon of a head!"

Vocal Adrenaline watched with amusement as the two divas bantered easily, smiles on their faces the entire time. It finally ended when the two broke into simultaneous laughter.

"I'm taller than Sunshine, I'll have you know!" Rachel giggled, her eyes watering and her sides stitching.

"I'll believe that when I see it! And my head… My head is not even close to the size of a watermelon, thank you very much!" Jesse wheezed out. They finally calmed down and went back to their lunches, though they continued to smile and stare at each other from the corner of their eyes.

"So what numbers are you guys going to perform at Regionals?" Rachel asked with interest.

"We're performing a mash-up of Don't Stop Me Now and The Show Must Go On," a tall dark-hair girl said happily. Rachel rolled her eyes- of course, Queen.

"Don't you think that's going to be a little, I dunno, predictable?" she asked skeptically. The others tensed.

"What do you mean?" Jesse asked, his brow furrowed. 

"Queen again? It's so… Vocal Adrenaline. It's getting kind of boring, really," she said casually, looking at her lunch so she wouldn't see their faces and burst out laughing.

"There is nothing boring about Queen!" Andrea and Jesse said in unison. Rachel bit back a smile.

"It is when it's all you perform. I think you should write original songs. I tried suggesting it to New Directions, but they ignored me, as usual. It would give you such an edge, and it's a great way to team build."

The table was silent, and Rachel blushed. She should have known to keep her opinion to herself, being in New Directions had taught her as much. "Ignore me, I'm just babbling. I have no input, I really should have kept my idea to myself."

"That's actually a really good idea, Rachel," Jesse said, sounding stunned. Rachel stared at him in shock before she grinned brilliantly.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, how did none of you think of this?" Andrea asked with a glare. The red-head chuckled.

"Why didn't _you_?"

Andrea ignored her and faced Rachel. "Do you have any songs you've written that we can use?"

"No, and even if I did, I couldn't give them to you! You have to write them yourselves, it gives it more meaning," she said in exasperation.

"But we already work so hard! How are we supposed to squeeze in song writing, too?" one of the girls whined, though Rachel couldn't tell who it had come from. She rolled her eyes.

"Just do it at home. Right down the lyrics as they come to you. Just take your feelings and make them rhyme, it really isn't that hard!"

"We can do that," Jesse said reasonably. A few people nodded and Rachel grinned. "I'll talk to Goolsby about it today!"

"Talk to Goolsby about what?" a voice asked from behind Jesse. Everyone turned to see Sunshine, and the short girl's eyes zoned in on Rachel. "What is she doing here?"

**Hee hee hee, give ten reviews to me! **

**Seriously, ten reviews before the next chapter ;)**

**Harlot out, bitches! **


	7. Chapter 7

Hello, all! Back with another wonderful installment, with the big ole Sunshine confrontation. Not conventional, at first, but… I'm getting ahead of myself. Just read and enjoy! And review, of course.

By the way, guys, I am blown away by the number of reviews I got. 38? I just, wow. Wow! You guys are so amazing! I would have updated sooner, but I was so busy! This is like, the first time span long enough to really crank out an update. So enjoy :)

Rachel blushed deeply and cleared her throat slightly, feeling extremely awkward. "Well, things at McKinley reached a dire point, and my daddies had me transfer here."

"Well, that explains why you're here," Sunshine said calmly, though there was obvious anger sparking in her eyes, "but why are you sitting at the Vocal Adrenaline table? They don't let anyone sit here until their six-month probationary period is over. I had to beg to sit here. Speaking of, you're in my seat."

"Sunshine, this isn't a classroom," Jesse drawled calmly, "there are no seating charts. Just sit next to Megan, that seat's empty."

The red-head fox girl, apparently named Megan, glared angrily at Jesse as Sunshine reluctantly sat in the empty chair. She was glaring openly at Rachel, who in turn stared back coolly.

"So, what should our song be about, anyway?" one boy asked, drawing everyone's attention from their light conversations. The table fell into a stumped silence.

"Songs for what?" Sunshine asked, reluctantly tearing her fiery gaze from Rachel.

"Regionals," Andrea said shortly, not even bothering to look at Sunshine.

"We already have our Regionals songs," she pointed out, and she smiled brightly. "Remember? Jesse and I picked them out!" She glanced at said boy and smiled shyly, and Rachel chuckled slightly in shock as she realized Sunshine _liked_ him.

Apparently, the short girl heard her. "What's so funny, Berry?" she snapped. Rachel's eyebrows almost reached her hairline as she regarded the temperamental girl in front of her.

"Nothing, just your obvious infatuation with Jesse cracks me up."

Sunshine slammed her fist against the table angrily before standing to her full- though extremely diminutive- height. "Who do you think you are, coming here? You know what, I was going to keep it a secret so you could have friends, but I don't care anymore!" Sunshine turned toward Jesse and pointed accusingly at Rachel. "She's the girl who sent me to the crack house!"

"I know," Jesse said simply. "I have to be honest, I was surprised she could be so maniacal. I thought she was far too goodie-goodie to do anything. Very impressive of her."

"What do you mean, you know?" Sunshine asked, her brows drawn together in very obvious hurt. Rachel felt bad, and as Jesse's mouth opened, she just knew he was going to say something scathing. She spoke before he could.

"Well, you told them I did it, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but how could they possibly remember your name? It took them a week to remember mine, and I only said yours once," Sunshine replied coldly, completely contrasting with Rachel's civil tones.

"Well, I've known Jesse for quite some time now. He went to a McKinley for a short period last year," she said, her tone slowly gaining some ice as she remembered the year prior. Jesse grimaced guiltily, but she ignored him.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Sunshine asked softly. She looked like she had been deeply betrayed.

"It ended badly, and I don't like talking about it," Jesse said harshly. His voiced had quivered slightly, however, making him seem much less menacing.

"What do you mean, 'it ended badly'?"

"He just said he doesn't like to talk about it," Rachel snapped. The topic was still very sore with her, too, and she hardly wanted to discuss it with Sunshine Corazon, of all people.

Sunshine's fist connected with the table once more, and unlike the first time, nobody flinched. They all just fixed Sunshine with steely gazes, but she was ignoring them. Her eyes were locked with Rachel's, an intense stare-down between the two of them.

"I will not take this from you," Sunshine said with a calm voice, though an angry undertone swirled like a storm. Rachel narrowed her eyes and stood up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Listen, _Little Miss Sunshine,_" Rachel spat, "I have been nice to you this entire time, and the only thing I've refused to tell you is what happened last year. You will respect that, and you will not bring it up again."

Sunshine's face contorted with fury. "I don't have to listen to what you say! You're not the boss of me!"

"No, but I'm taller, and I could take you down," Rachel retorted. She could see Andrea nod her approval in her peripheral vision but ignored it.

"Are you threatening me?" Sunshine gasped. Rachel simply cocked an eyebrow.

"I would never," she said ironically. There was a screech of metal against concrete as the tall blond girl at the end of the table stood.

"Cool down, you guys," she said slowly. "Let's just put this incident behind us and enjoy the rest of our lunch hour." She was obviously the level-headed one of the group. Rachel would have thought that would be Jesse a year ago, but his increased temper had obviously lost him that title.

Sunshine sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, tilting her head skyward as she took deep, calming breaths. Rachel fought back a laugh at how ridiculous she looked, such a mature action on a girl that looked like a ten-year-old. After a few moments of tense silence and anticipation, Sunshine looked straight into Jesse's eyes.

"Choose."

"What?" he demanded incredulously. Rachel's eyes widened as she stared at the girl in front of her; she had to be kidding, right?

"Choose between me and Rachel. I won't stand around while the girl who sent me to a crack house—"

"_For Pete's sake, it was inactive_!" Rachel interjected impatiently. Sunshine ignored her.

"I won't stand around while the girl who sent me to a crack house jokes around with my friends like nothing happens, especially as she's obviously turning you guys against me."

"She didn't have to do it, you did it all by yourself," Andrea muttered. Sunshine didn't appear to hear her.

"Choose, Jesse."

"Why do I have to choose?" he demanded with a quirk of his eyebrow. Sunshine rolled her eyes.

"Because you're the leader of the group. Your decision is most important."

Andrea snorted, and Rachel would have laughed if she wasn't so surprised. She had a feeling Jesse would choose her, but what if he put the good of the team first? _He's done it once already, _she remembered sadly.

Jesse sighed and opened his mouth to vocalize his decision.

Hee hee hee hee, give some reviews to me!

Ten before the next chapter, mmkay? Though I wouldn't mind another 38 ;)

Seriously, though, you guys rocked my socks off. That was incredible.

Cheers!

Harlot


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I will make this as short as possible. It might not be short, though x)**

**First off… OMFG, I LOVE YOU GUYS! I… 58 reviews? I'm dying. I'm DYING. YOU GUYS ARE KILLING ME. I don't deserve this. Really, I don't. I'm sorry this took so long, I've been ridonculously busy lately, this is the first free moment I've had in a while. I literally JUST watched Born This Way. And the prom promo… AHHHHHHH, JESSE! **

**In response to some constructive criticism (that honestly, sounded more like a flame. I can take criticism well when it's put nicely, I have before. I always thank them and listen. But this was a flame. 'incredibly immature' is not constructive): I don't hate Sunshine. She's like a second Rachel, and I adore Rachel. Her comment about being better than everyone had me cracking up. I'm just trying to make it realistic; I feel like Sunshine, as she's perky and nice, wouldn't fit in with VA. And honestly, if I were her, I'd hate Rachel. I hadn't seen NON yet, so I had no clue she'd be civil. I am not bashing Sunshine, I love that chick. Kthanxbai. **

**Enough of that noise, you guys wanted this chapter, and your wish is my command!**

Jesse stood up and looked Sunshine dead in the eye. "Listen, Sunshine, I know what this is about. Don't worry, we don't plan on replacing you with Rachel. She's not joining, and even if she was, you'd still be lead. We're cruel, but you've earned that with your hard work." Rachel knew Jesse was lying, but Sunshine looked appeased, which was really all that mattered, in the end. "I'm not going to choose between the two of you, because you're my female lead, and she's Rachel. It's as simple as that."

Sunshine frowned. "Jesse, I'm serious—"

"No, you're not. You're bluffing and you hope I buy it. Honestly, though, you ought to have known better. I'm not stupid. Though you were very convincing. Have you ever thought of acting?" He then smiled charmingly. "Don't worry, Rachel isn't trying out. Besides, Sunshine. You're irreplaceable."

That seemed to do the job. She smiled brightly. "Thanks, Jesse. I guess I was being ridiculous."

Rachel was shocked. She knew Sunshine had a crush on Jesse, but honestly… He was being downright manipulative. It was a sad reminder of just how… Jesse he could be. For the last few hours he had been the sweet, kind, gentle Jesse she had always seen when they were alone. But now she was reminded of the boy who broke her heart. It was almost scary. And it was entirely too much.

Rachel picked her bag off the ground, flung it over her shoulder, and walked as fast as she could on her injured ankle out of the cafeteria. There was about two minutes till class and she would take this time to find her class, as she didn't want Jesse as her personal tour guide at the moment. As she hobbled painfully down the hall, she regretted the decision to leave her crutches at home.

Rachel glanced down at her schedule and bit her lip. English, room D205. Well, as she was right next to D103, it couldn't be far. But she did have to take the stairs. Fantastic. She started to her classroom, reaching the door just as the bell rang.

"Hello, I'm Rachel, Rachel Berry," she said happily, sticking her hand out to shake the teacher's. The woman smiled and offered her hand, her bangles clanging down her wrist as she gave Rachel's a firm squeeze. The teacher, although dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt (teachers dressed surprisingly casual at Carmel) had a very hippie-dippie vibe about her, as did the entire classroom. The desks were arranged in a small circle, and outside, lined against the wall, were squashy old couches and brightly-colored bean bag chairs. The teacher's desk was cluttered and Rachel felt a strong urge to organize it. This class was definitely going to be interesting.

"I'm Ms. Sterling," the woman replied kindly. "Please, take a seat anywhere." Rachel took a desk as far back as possible, hoping to stay out of the spotlight, just for now. She wanted to have a little time to think.

The class slowly started filing in. They all sat in random seats next to their friends, chatting happily as they waited for the final bell to ring. A boy with curly black hair took a seat next to Rachel and offered a friendly smile.

"I like your cast. The gold stars are a nice touch," he complimented. Rachel beamed and extended her arm, showing off the cast proudly.

"Thank you! Nobody really appreciates my gold star metaphor nowadays," she mused, watching the stickers reflect in the light.

"Well, I think metaphors are very important," the boy informed her. "I'm Blaine Anderson."

"Rachel Berry, it's nice to meet you," she smiled. Finally, someone else who understood the importance of metaphors. She thought that Jesse understood, too, but pushed him in the back of her mind. She couldn't stop the frown that crossed her face, though, and unfortunately, Blaine noticed.

"Doesn't seem too nice," he joked.

"Hmm? Oh, no, it's not you, don't worry!" she assured. "I was just… thinking."

"What's wrong?" he asked. Rachel smiled in appreciation. He seemed genuinely concerned, he wasn't just asking because he felt morally obligated.

"It's just boy troubles, it's not important," she said, not wanting to dump all her troubles on some boy she had just met.

"It is important. You came to the right guy, too. I'm gay, I completely understand guy troubles," he informed her with a wry smile. Rachel made a note to introduce him to Kurt.

"There's a guy. We used to date, and it ended very badly. He essentially broke my heart. It was a trauma that I'll carry with me the rest of my life," she started, deciding that having someone to vent to would be healthy for her. "And—"

Suddenly, someone was sitting at the table beside her. Rachel turned, and was surprised to see Sunshine.

"Don't look so shocked, it was the only table open," she said wearily. "What was with the storm-out?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Rachel said quietly, biting her lip to keep from saying especially not with you.

"Come on!" Sunshine whined, and Rachel was reminded shockingly of herself, but the shorter girl was a bit too petulant. "You and Jesse have been hiding things all day. Don't I get to know?"

"It's very personal, and you won't like seeing Jesse cast in that light," Rachel admitted. "Jesse is a great guy, don't get me wrong, and I don't think he would do anything like it again— he's changed, and he regrets his actions."

"Jesse St. James is that guy?" Blaine whistled lowly. "Lucky girl."

Rachel laughed lightly. She was lucky, to have such a great guy in her life. Even if he was manipulative. Her laughter faded. "Yeah, I am. I think I am. I'm not sure."

"What makes you unsure?" Sunshine asked. "I'd kill to have Jesse act to me like he does to you. You're very lucky."

Rachel sighed and twisted her fingers on the desk, which was awkward due to her cast. "Now it seems I am. And I was before. But for a long time I wasn't." She sighed again.

"Will you stop being so cryptic?" Sunshine begged. "I'm in suspense, here!"

It was a hard decision— Sunshine was being so civil, and Blaine was obviously there to listen, so why shouldn't she tell them? Not even her dads knew, they just knew her breakup with Jesse had been harsh. If it hadn't been for Noah finding her in the parking lot, nobody in New Directions would have found out. It was hard to talk about.

"It was last year," she began. "I was just getting out of a bad relationship— with Finn, he's the tall goofy kid?" Sunshine nodded. "And I was very upset. The next day, I met Jesse…. Or was it the same day? It was over a year ago. Dates are fuzzy, but I can remember meeting him very well. It was in the music shop. The one on the corner of Mast and Bonita?" Both Blaine and Sunshine nodded this time. "I was looking for a song for my glee assignment. I was looking through a Lionel Richie book, and I had just found the perfect song—"

"Hello?" Sunshine asked in shock. When Rachel nodded, she added, "That explains so much! I tried to sing it for a solo, and Jesse flipped. He marched onstage and demanded I stop immediately."

"It's kind of our song," Rachel admitted, "it was the first time we'd ever sang together. It's hard for me to listen to it, sometimes. I can understand why it would be hard for him. Anyway, we sang, and it was magical. We agreed to meet again. I was so excited, I was finally moving on from Finn. God, I can't stand Finn." She shook her head angrily. "He dumped me so he could go on a date with a couple of slutty cheerleaders. ((AN: I hate that guy, too. UGH.)) Jesse was so much better. But when Finn found out, he told the glee club and they threatened to kick me out. Jesse kept our relationship secret for a while. The star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, without the tragic ending!" She scoffed. "Well, that's what I thought. Jesse eventually left Vocal Adrenaline; he said it was to be with me. And we had an amazing time. I made a small mistake, though. I made a scandalous music video to 'Run, Joey, Run'—"

"That's why he hates that song!" Sunshine burst in. "Goodness, did you leave him with any music?"

"Yes," Rachel replied dryly, "I left him with Queen. That's how he broke up with me, you know. To this day, I can't stand to listen to 'Another One Bites the Dust'. Anyway, I triple-casted him as Joey along with two of my ex-boyfriends. He didn't like that."

"I can see why," Blaine said reasonably, though his voice held no judgement.

"The assignment was 'bad reputation'. I thought that was bad enough," Rachel pouted. "And it's not like I don't regret it. Anyway, he left for a while. When he came back, though, everything was perfect…." Rachel paused, remembering her promise to Shelby to keep things quiet. "And then out of nowhere, he was in our auditorium with the rest of Vocal Adrenaline. He had transferred back, and he was dumping me. His team performed to freak us out, and tee-peed our choir room. He had been using me. I was an acting exercise for him. It infuriated me for the longest time. I was pretty bent out of shape about it. I wanted him to get eaten by a lion."

"I would, too," Sunshine said, her brow furrowed. "But that sounds nothing like Jesse."

"If you think that sounds nothing like Jesse, just wait until you hear the next part. He… He called me, and," she swallowed, "he told me to meet him in the parking lot. And I did. And he looked so happy to see me, I just ran toward him… But the rest of Vocal Adrenaline came out of hiding. And they all threw eggs at me." She closed her eyes tight as both Blaine and Sunshine let out soft gasps of shock. "Jesse had told them I was vegan, so it was so much more cruel. I hadn't talked to him since. At least not until I came here." Rachel exhaled slowly. "And now we've come full circle."

Sunshine looked sympathetic. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe he would do that to you."

"Honestly, what is there to think about?" Blaine asked. "He sounds like a class-A jerk."

"But he's more than that," Rachel sighed. "I know Jesse. I could see past his showface, I always suspected something was up…. But I know deep down, he's great. He's sensitive, and kind, and he went to a Wiggles concert with me. A Wiggles concert! And he loved it! He even wanted the Care Bear I gave him. And he's the only boy I've ever met that really understands. It's not his fault he has… manipulative tendencies. His parents are awful, they're never there, he's always had to fend for himself."

"Well, I can see where you would be confused," Blaine said slowly. Sunshine nodded slowly, looking just as troubled as Rachel felt. She had some serious thinking to do.

**Okay, couple more things. **

**ONE SUPER IMPORTANT THING: WILL SOMEONE HELP ME CO-WRITE THE SONGS? I can't do it on my own. I need help. **

**Second thing, yeah, I brought in Blaine. I thought it'd be nice to have him prominent in the story, as I love Darren Criss. Supermegafoxyawesomehot. **  
**  
****Ten reviews, people! **

**Cheers!**

**Harlot**


	9. Chapter 9

Hey guys. Sorry, I was recuperating from the news of what happened during the season finale. I wouldn't know first hand, I refused to watch it. Because Ryan Murphy is a BUTT TRUMPET. SOUR GRAPE RYAN MURPHY. Damn that G.L.E.E making twisted abominations of everything! I had a hunch Finchel was on the rise, and I decided, "Hey, I'll just never watch again and leave it on a St. Berry note! Yay, denial!"

**So after mourning, I had a bunch of exams and projects to end the year. And then I had volunteer work. And this is my first moment of free time since. And I thought you deserved an update, 'cause you're all AWESOME. LOVE AND HUGS YOUR WAY! /3**

**I don't own crud. Stupid butt trumpet mentioned above does.**

Rachel awoke with a scream, her hand flying to her injured wrist as she waited for her pulse to slow down. She wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead and collapsed back onto her pillows, taking long, calm breaths. Karofsky already plagued her mind during the day, every time she so mach as glanced at her injuries. Now he had to invade her dreams? It seemed to be the worst thing he had done to her. After a few minutes her shaking subsided and she got out of bed, walking down the stairs to her kitchen. She grabbed a cup from the cabinet and filled it to the brim with water; she was dying of thirst. She lifted it to her lips to drink, but the shiny gold star flashed in the dim light over the stove and the glass dropped from her hands, shattering the instant it hit the floor, spilling water and glass shards everywhere.

"Crap," she muttered, glad she had worn her slippers. She stepped carefully to the broom and swept up all the glass. Seconds later, her dad ran down with a baseball grasped in his hand, raised threateningly. It dropped to his side when he saw her.

"Rachel, sweetie, you scared me half to death! What were you thinking?" he asked, taking the broom and sweeping up the remaining glass.

"I had a nightmare," she said sadly, sitting down on one of the stools set up around the island. She stared down at her hands, twisting her fingers in a moment of vulnerability. "Karofsky was attacking me again. It was terrible. I had to get some water."

Her father looked tragically awkward. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"I'm fine," she sighed. She shouldn't have even brought it up, especially with her dad. It was moments like that that she wished she had a real mother figure. But Shelby had replaced her. She was Rachel Berry. She wasn't supposed to be replaceable, not as a daughter. "You can go back up." After sitting in silence for a few minutes she finally flipped off the lights and went up to her room once more. She didn't fall back asleep.

When she walked into school the next day, a large, sugary coffee clutched in her hand, she was surprised when Blaine immediately fell into step beside her.

"Good morning," she greeted as pleasantly as possible. It didn't seem to be enough, as Blaine immediately picked up on her less-than-chipper disposition.

"Is it?" he asked, and Rachel had to fight back a frown. She didn't want to burden Blaine with her troubles; she had already done that enough yesterday. She still couldn't stop herself as her thoughts spilled forth before she could even register that she was venting.

"I had a nightmare last night. It was terrible. And I got up to get myself some water, because my fathers somehow trained me to believe that sadness equates to thirst, and it just really made me realize how much I wanted a mother figure in my life. Just giving me a glass of water and awkwardly patting me on the back won't help me feel better, you know? It's not that I don't love my daddies, I do! I love them to bits! But sometimes I just wish that they would be more understanding, or even that I had someone besides them who did understand." She was on the verge of tears by the end of her rant. She fought them back desperately, blinking hard in hopes of keeping them at bay. Blaine sighed and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm very sorry that you don't have a mother in your life. But that, to me, just shows how strong you are. You went your whole life with nobody to go to and you still ended up such a confident young woman. That takes a lot of strength, Rachel," he said earnestly. Rachel beamed up at him, glad to have made this new friend. She would need him, if she was going to avoid Jesse for a while.

Jesse. That was a whole different can of worms she really didn't want to open. It seemed with him, Karofsky, and her 'mother', all her problems were going to push down onto her until she exploded.

She took a long sip of her coffee, grimacing as it slid down her throat. She hated that the coffee shop hadn't had non-dairy creamer, and she had been forced to drink it black. Her mind flashed to Jesse again and she groaned.

"Either that coffee is disgusting, or there's something else on your mind," Blaine said, always observant.

"A little bit of both," she laughed, but it was a hollow sound. The bell rang and Rachel let out one last groan before bidding Blaine goodbye and heading to Psychology, moving as slowly as she could. She made it just in time, as the second her butt hit the seat, the bell rang. She could see that Jesse was about to talk to her, presumably to ask what had happened with her yesterday, but he didn't get the chance. The teacher started the lesson, much to her relief.

The second class ended she fled from the classroom like a bat out of Hell. She knew Jesse was in her next class, along with Shelby, and the mere thought churned her stomach. She hid in the girl's bathroom as long as she could, but the warning bell rang and she finally went to class, sitting in the middle of the class so that she was equidistant from Jesse and Shelby. The whole hour was spent being subjected to torturous, sub-par singers butcher beautiful songs. When the bell finally rang Rachel felt her whole body relax; she wouldn't have to deal with them for the rest of the day. It seemed, however, that Shelby had different plans.

"Rachel?" she called softly. "Can I please speak with you?"

Rachel hesitated, as did Jesse. She nodded for him to go ahead, thankful when he left without argument. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, about yesterday. I was just surprised to see you, and I may have been a little insensitive," Shelby said, sincerity clear in her voice. Rachel bit her lip hard.

"I don't care about yesterday."

"I'm sorry about everything," Shelby whispered, her eyes falling to the desk. Rachel had never seen the woman so vulnerable; honestly, it was pissing her off. How dare she act that way? She left. Rachel, if anyone, was the one who was supposed to be mad.

"Don't," she said harshly. "Don't act like that."

Shelby looked fairly shocked. "Rachel, I am sorry. I feel terrible. You needed me, and I just left you. I'm sorry about Beth, I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm so, so sorry."

Rachel swallowed hard. This was unfair. Shelby wasn't allowed to make her feel guilty. "Well, what's done is done."

"Can you get past this someday?" she asked desperately.

"Maybe," she lied. She was sure she would never fully get past it, but maybe she could get over it enough to no longer hate her. Shelby's face relaxed and she smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered. "That's more than I deserve."

Rachel left without a word, but throughout her next two classes, she couldn't get past the fact that her mother had apologized. She couldn't fully focus on anything, even though both lessons seemed fairly interesting. She was relieved when lunch came, and once again Blaine met her in the halls. They sat at a small empty table in the corner, and Rachel realized she was tearing him away from his friends.

"You can go sit at your regular table," she said guiltily.

"This is my regular table," he replied. His voice was so dejected it broke Rachel's heart. "Not everyone is as accepting as you are."

Rachel frowned and placed her hand over his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He smiled thankfully at her.

"Rachel, what are you doing over here?"

Rachel looked up and was shocked to see Jesse, arms crossed over his chest, scowling.

"I'm sitting with Blaine, obviously," she said, trying to keep her voice casual. Jesse sat down at the empty chair across from her and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not stupid, Rachel," he said coolly. "I know something's up. Spill."

**Anyone like the AVPS/Starship references in the above author's note? It was fun, putting that in there. I so love the Glee jokes in Starship. WATCH IT IF YOU HAVEN'T. STARKID IS BEAUTIFUL. Darren Criss wrote the music, too! For those who don't know, that's where he got his start. He was Harry in A Very Potter Musical. I loved him even before I liked Glee :D**

**Also, sorry for the lack of Jesse (until the end there). She's avoiding that boy like the plague. Also, Shelby! Eh, eh? I know you've been asking about her. Hope you liked it! **

**REVIEW! Ten, mmkay?**

**Cheers, **

**Harlot**


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry this took so long, guys. I had to update other stories, and now I'm pretty much majorly depressed because my entire freakin' childhood is over.

**Yes, people. I AM talking about Harry Potter. **

**So, anyway… Here's the new chapter. I hope you like it. **

**I don't own anything. **

Rachel shifted uncomfortably. "Can we talk about this in private?" She sent Blaine a look to tell him it was nothing personal and he shrugged, obviously understanding. She sighed in relief and dragged Jesse from the cafeteria. She was anxious to bring it up; she could tell Jesse's temper had deteriorated slightly since last year. It was understandable; he had plenty of reason to be mad at the world. But the possibility of him yelling and losing his cool still made her stomach twist.

"Wow, must be a pretty big deal if you couldn't even say it in front of him," Jesse said coldly, his face blank. Rachel sighed. "But I should've gotten the message that it was big when you started avoiding me like the plague."

"Yes, it is," she murmured, ignoring his slight jab. He was angry. It was understandable, she supposed. She _had_ avoided him, without even telling him what was wrong. It was unfair. There was a beat of silence. Jesse got impatient.

"Well?" he snapped. Rachel sighed again.

"Don't get mad at me," she said in exasperation. "I'm not the one who manipulated Sunshine!"

Jesse's face crumpled in surprise and slight anger. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about! Yesterday, when Sunshine was trying to make you choose between us, you acted like you liked her to make her shut up, even though you have no feelings like that toward her. It was really unfair to her."

Jesse stared at her in stunned silence for a second. "You don't even like her. I don't get why it matters."

"It matters because I know what it feels like," she retorted harshly. She hadn't wanted to let that part out; this was supposed to be about Sunshine, not her. She wasn't supposed to air her dirty laundry like this, especially when she was angry at him. But it was Jesse, and as always, he had gotten her to spill the beans. That's how it always happened, it seemed.

"Rachel…" he whispered sadly, finally understanding. "You know I regret what I did. I told you that. I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that!"

Rachel bit her lip and didn't respond. She wanted so badly to believe him; when they were alone, and he didn't put up a façade, he was wonderful. He was so real and alive and energetic, but the second he was in public, he was cold and calculated. Was it worth it?

Jesse's face fell as he watched her hesitate. "Rachel, it's different with Sunshine. She's—"

"A girl just like me who really likes you, and you had no problem whatsoever tricking? How is it any different?"

"Because I actually care about you!" he argued. He strode forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking intensely into her eyes. "Rachel, Sunshine isn't like you. I mean, sure. You have things in common. But she isn't Rachel Berry. She isn't you. You're important to me. She's just another face in the crowd."

Rachel swallowed hard, still unsure. His words were impacting her greatly, and she wanted nothing more than to just accept his words and forgive him completely. But the logical part of her mind registered the fact that this could be just another manipulation, and she couldn't bring herself to reply. Jesse's hands left her shoulders, and he stared at her in shock.

"You still don't trust me," he whispered. His eyes were full of pain. Rachel still said nothing. "I can't believe this. You're one to talk. Weren't you the one acting like nothing was wrong yesterday? Like you had forgiven me completely, and everything was forgiven?"

"I wasn't manipulating you, Jesse, I was just—"

"Lying. Yeah, that's so much better," he spat. He was shaking. "Whatever. Go ahead and keep avoiding me, I'll try and make it easier for you." He stormed back into the cafeteria, leaving Rachel alone in the hallway, fighting back tears.

She stood there for a while, trying to get a reign on her emotions. She couldn't believe this. It was only her second day, and already the drama was almost as bad at McKinley. Even there, though, it hadn't affected her so heavily. Here, where she knew almost nobody, and the only person she could turn to was someone she hadn't even known for a full twenty-four hours. Things weren't bigger and better so far.

She was finally collected enough to go back to the cafeteria and sit next to Blaine, who was staring at her in concern. He didn't press her, though, simply gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze before he started chatting idly about scarves. Rachel smiled, a rush of affection sweeping through her.

"Thank you," she whispered. He smiled back.

"You're welcome," he said earnestly. "Anyway, Michael Kors has made a few pretty nice scarves in his day…"

The rest of the day was spent with Blaine, and Rachel still couldn't believe such a sweet, considerate guy was so frowned upon because of his sexuality. Multiple times during the day, he was pushed, or snarled at, and every time Rachel tried to stand up for him, he would just place a hand on her shoulder and shake his head. The way he smiled, so sad and broken, was heartbreaking. She wanted to do _something, anything_, to lift his spirits, but when she asked if he needed help, his only response was "you being my friend is help enough", which just broke her heart even further, because he said it in a way that made her think she was his first real friend.

"Do you want to come to my house after school?" she offered. His face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Of course!" He sent his parents a quick text telling him he where he would be going, and they both hopped into her car and sped toward her house, putting Carmel High, and all the crud they went through there, behind them for a while.

"You know who you would like?" she asked, out of nowhere. "My friend Kurt."

"Is this one of those things where you're setting me up with the only gay guy you know because you think we'll get along _because _we're gay?" he asked skeptically. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Of course not. I'm not gaycist. I honestly think you two are good for each other," she persuaded.

Blaine smiled sadly. "I don't know if that's a good idea. I don't need to give those people more reason to hate me."

Yet again, Rachel wanted nothing more than to wipe that broken look on his face. Deciding a temporary solution was best, she popped in Blaine's favorite movie, popped some popcorn, and tried to distract him from all the cruel thoughts plaguing his mind. She _would _fix it, whether he liked it or not.

So, this chapter is really depressing. I'M SO SORRY! Things WILL get better. Fo sho. By the way, I'm thinking about getting a Tumblr blog for all my extra blurbs, and OC information, and deleted scenes, and sneak previews for all my stories. What do you think? Yes? No? Maybe so? Ten reviews, peoples. Cheers, Harlot PS: To those who have seen HP… That hug. OHMYGOD, it haunts me. 


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